"I hate you so much," I say, making sure to meet his intense gaze, my voice dripping with playful venom.
His lips curl into a smirk, his sharp eyes never leaving mine. He takes another step forward, and I instinctively take one back-only to feel the...
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"Seher Ali Shah, kya aap ko yeh nikah qubool hai?" The Kazi's voice resonated, and I felt a chill run through my body.
My instincts screamed to flee, but I was paralyzed by the weight of the moment.
I was getting married to a monster!
I didn't even notice when the nikah started; I was zoned out.
For how long?
I can't.
No.
No.
I can't.
I started shivering, wanting to run away.
A lady approached me, whispering menacingly in my ear, "Say 'yes' quickly, or what happens to your grandmother will be terrible."
Terror surged through me, knowing they could do anything.
I couldn't risk my grandmother's life.
Lost in my thoughts, I felt her grip tighten painfully on my wrist.
"Say it," she demanded.
"Leave my hand," I pleaded, writhing in pain.
Her grip tightened further, and I whimpered, "I'll say it, just leave my hand."
As soon as I said it, she released me and stepped back.
The Kazi repeated, "Seher Ali Shah, kya aap ko yeh nikah qubool hai?"
Without a moment's hesitation, I replied, "Qubool hai."
I was lost in my thoughts, so when the lady tapped on my shoulder, I said, "Qubool hai."
I repeated it one more time, each utterance feeling like a part of me was dying.
The lady handed me the nikah papers, her eyes full of unspoken sympathy. My hands trembled as I took the pen, each stroke feeling like a leaden weight on my heart.
With every letter I scrawled, a piece of my spirit seemed to wither away. The room around me blurred, and a profound emptiness settled in my chest, hollowing out any remnants of hope.
As I finished signing, a solitary tear traced a path down my cheek, mingling with the ink that marked the end of a dream.
As I snapped out of my daze, I heard the Kazi ask him, and he responded, "Qubool hai." The familiarity of his voice shocked me.
